EU Settlement Scheme

EU Workers in a Post Brexit Britain

There is a huge amount of uncertainty around Brexit, and understandably so – we’re used to the rules and regulations as they are now, and change is always difficult! If you employ EU workers to plug the, sometimes huge, skills gap left by UK workers you might be more than a little apprehensive about what Brexit means for your business.

Many of our industries rely heavily on EU workers. The NHS simply wouldn’t cope without the thousands of EU workers it currently employs. This can also be said of the catering, hospitality and IT industries.

Read on to find out what the Brexit changes might mean for you, your business and your staff.

Will Those Already Employed Have To Leave?

It would be a bitter pill to swallow if you had to uproot your family, who are enjoying a new way of life in the UK. The government is promising that EU workers with ‘Settled Status’ can remain in the UK indefinitely. To qualify for ‘Settled Status’ an EU worker would need to have been working in the UK for 5 years by the end of 2020, prove their identity and disclose any criminal convictions.

Don’t worry if you’ve got a speeding fine or something minor, still disclose it – but it shouldn’t affect your settled status application. More serious crimes could affect your workers chances; however they’ll be judged on a case-by-case basis.

What Do Your Staff Need To Do?

The government have provided an Employer Toolkit, that gives you all of the information you need to communicate to your staff: how to apply for the scheme, when to apply and what they’ll need to apply. You can check out all of the details and get posters and leaflets here.